By Sohn JiAe
Photos = Jeon Han
Seoul l Oct. 26, 2017

The Korean Culture and Information Service (KOCIS), part of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, brought together heads of nine organizations that are engaged in promoting Korean arts, media and tourism around the world, at the Korea Press Center in Seoul on Oct. 26.

Presided over by KOCIS Director Kim Tae-hoon, the meeting allowed the experts to freely discuss ways to further revitalize and support efforts to promote Korean arts, media and tourism on the global scene.

Each head outlined how their organization carries out major projects and pursues its agenda over the years. They also came up with possible projects on which they could join forces in the future, while exchanging their thoughts on running a practical task force to make such projects happen.



“As the Korean Wave, known as Hallyu (한류) in Korean, has hit almost the whole world, from pop music like Psy through to soap operas and, most recently, the novelist Han Kang, it’s time for more public organizations to engage in helping to keep this popularity going,” said the KOCIS director. “Constant and sustainable interest and support from the government are required to develop pure arts and traditions, in particular, rather than mere popular culture, as those form the backbone of Korean heritage,” he said.

“As we gather here together today, we will be able to figure out collectively what each organization is doing and which projects unnecessarily overlap with each other. This will create a synergy effect, for sure. Hopefully, we can have constructive discussions, seek cooperative measures and address together any difficulties we may face,” the director said.

Following the KOCIS-led talks, a series of quarterly meetings will take place among the members. A task force will be set up, too, so as to implement the outcomes agreed upon at the talks, while the leaders will adopt a strategy to revitalize certain areas of Korean arts, media and tourism within the year.

jiae5853@korea.kr